2006 Minerals Yearbook NEVADA
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2006 Minerals Yearbook NEVADA U.S. Department of the Interior May 2009 U.S. Geological Survey NEVADA Opal Gem HUMBOLDT Au, Ag Au, Ag SG Au, Ag Ba ELKO SG Au, Ag Elko ! CS Au, Ag Au, Ag SG Lime WASHOE Ba SG Gyp Au, Ag Au, Ag PERSHING Au, Ag Au, Ag Dia Au, Ag Ba Per Per Au, Ag Au, Ag Bent Zeo LANDER EUREKA Au, Ag SG Reno ! Cem Dia CHURCHILL WHITE PINE STOREY Au, Ag SG W SG CS Gyp 1 2 Cu Mo LYON SG CARSON CITY ^Carson City Salt DOUGLAS Au, Ag SG SG MgCp Au, Ag MINERAL LEGEND NYE County boundary ^ Capital Dia ! City ESMERALDA Gem Crushed stone/sand and Au, Ag 1 LINCOLN gravel district boundary Bent Per MINERAL SYMBOLS Per (Major producing areas) Ag Silver Li Lithium carbonate Au Gold Lime Lime plant B Borate plant MgCp Magnesium compounds Bent Ba Barite Mn Manganese plant SG CS SG Bent Bentonite Mo Molybdenum Ful B CLARK IS Cem Cement plant Opal Precious opal Bent Zeo CS Crushed stone Per Perlite Gyp LimeCS Gyp Cu Copper Per Perlite plant SG ! Las Vegas SG SG Dia Diatomite Salt Salt Mn Ti Lime Ful Fuller's earth SG Construction sand and gravel SG Gem Gemstones Ti Titanium metal plant CS Gyp Gypsum W Tungsten metal plant Gyp Gypsum plant Zeo Zeolites 025 50 100 Kilometers IS Industrial sand Concentration of mineral Ka Kaolin operations Albers equal area projection Source: Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology/ U.S. Geological Survey (2006). THE MINERAL INDUSTRY OF NEVADA This chapter has been prepared under a Memorandum of Understanding between the U.S. Geological Survey and the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology for collecting information on all nonfuel minerals. In 2006, Nevada’s nonfuel raw mineral production1 was to produce magnesite and lithium carbonate minerals (minerals valued at $5.14 billion, based upon annual U.S. Geological listed in descending order of value) and remained fi rst of two Survey (USGS) data. This was an increase of $1.25 billion, a barite-producing States, second in silver and diatomite, third in 32% rise from that of 2005, following a $420 million, or 12%, gypsum, fourth in copper, and sixth in lime. Nevada was sixth increase from 2004 to 2005. This again set an alltime high for in the production of pumice and pumicite with the resumption the State, principally being the result of increases in the price of mining since last reported production of 1980. The State of gold, a substantial increase in the annual average price of decreased to 9th from 6th in the production of construction sand copper, and a signifi cant increase in the annual average price of and gravel, to 9th from 7th in gemstones (gemstones ranking silver. The State rose in rank back to second from third in the based upon value), and was the producer of signifi cant quantities Nation in total nonfuel mineral production value in 2006, which of crushed stone and industrial sand and gravel. Mercury was followed rankings of second 1994–97 and 1999–2004 and fi rst produced as a byproduct of gold-silver processing at several in 1992–93 and 1998. Nevada accounted for more than 7.7% of mines, but no data were reported to the USGS. Mercury has not the U.S. total nonfuel value in 2006. been mined domestically as a primary mineral commodity since Nevada, which has led the Nation in gold production since the closure of the McDermitt Mine in 1992 (Brooks and Matos, 1981, provided 82% of the Nation’s gold in 2006. In 2006, 2005). gold accounted for 78% of the State’s total nonfuel raw mineral The following narrative information was provided by the production value, followed by copper (data withheld—company Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology2 (NBMG). Production proprietary data), construction sand and gravel with nearly data in the text that follows are those reported by the NBMG as 4.5%, and silver, lime, and crushed stone with somewhat less measured by mine shipments, sales, or marketable production than 2% each. For the fourth consecutive year, Nevada ranked (including consumption by producers) and were compiled by the second in silver production (fi rst from 1987-2001) accounting Nevada Commission on Mineral Resources Division of Minerals for more about 21.5% of the silver produced from U.S. mines, (NDM) and the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, based down from 22% in 2005, 24% in 2004, 26% in 2003, and 30% upon the surveys and canvasses of and estimates made by those in 2002. State agencies, including information gathered from company In 2006, while the production of gold dropped slightly, annual reports (Price and Meeuwig, 2007, p. 3). The NBMG down about 2.5%, its total value rose by 32%, or up by nearly data are reported by that agency to be nonproprietary and may $1 billion. A relatively small increase in copper production differ from some USGS production fi gures as reported to and at the Quadra Mining Ltd.’s Robinson Mine, just west of Ely, estimated by the USGS. White Pine County, resulted in a near doubling of its 2005 total value, owing to the commodity’s increase in unit value. Industry Overview and Trends Although silver production in the State decreased by nearly 12%, nevertheless, total value rose by $26 million, or up by The value of mineral production in Nevada reached an alltime 40%. A modest increase in crushed stone production led to a high in 2006, primarily as a result of increases in the price of nearly $20 million increase in its value. Smaller yet signifi cant gold and most all other commodities. Although production increases of somewhat more than $5 million each took place in of gold continued to decrease from its high of nearly 277,000 the nonfuel mineral commodities of barite, diatomite, fuller’s kilograms (kg) (8.9 million troy ounces) in 1998 to 196,000 kg earth clay, gypsum (crude), molybdenum concentrates, and (6.3 million troy ounces) in 2006, nonetheless, 2006 represented portland cement. The largest decreases in value took place in the 18th consecutive year in which production was in excess construction sand and gravel, down by $6 million, and lime, of 156,000 kg (5 million troy ounces). Production of gold was down by about $3 million. Although not signifi cantly affecting derived from 22 major mining operations. The Carlin trend in the State’s overall total nonfuel mineral value, the value of northeastern Nevada accounted for 51% of the total production. gemstone production was down about 40% (table 1). Nine additional mining operations, not on the Carlin trend, In 2006, while Nevada continued to lead the Nation in the each produced more than 3,100 kg (100,000 troy ounces) of quantity of gold produced, it also continued to be the only State gold. Most of this gold was sold on the international market for artistic items, bullion, and jewelry. The conductive and 1The terms “nonfuel mineral production” and related “values” encompass noncorrosive qualities also were applied in computers, other variations in meaning, depending upon the mineral products. Production may electronics, and dental-related items. be measured by mine shipments, mineral commodity sales, or marketable production (including consumption by producers) as is applicable to the individual mineral commodity. 2Jonathan G. Price, Director and State Geologist, Richard O. Meeuwig, Editor All 2006 USGS mineral production data published in this chapter are those and Webmaster, Stephen B. Castor, Research Geologist, and John L. Muntean, available as of March 2008. All USGS Mineral Industry Surveys and USGS Research Economic Geologist, coauthored the text of the State mineral industry Minerals Yearbook chapters—mineral commodity, State, and country—can be information provided by the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology. retrieved over the Internet at URL http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals. NEVADA—2006 30.1 Through 2006, cumulative gold production in Nevada Exploration Activities, Discoveries, and Mine Development (beginning with the Comstock lode in 1859) was about 5,280 Activities metric tons (t) (170 million troy ounces). Nearly 86% of this total was produced after the Carlin Mine began production in According to a survey of exploration activities by the Nevada 1965, of which 83% was produced in the period from 1981 to Division of Minerals, exploration activity has been steadily the present. During this period, 45% of the gold was produced increasing since 2001, when companies reported $51.2 million in the decade from 1997 to 2006. Total gold production in the in expenditures in Nevada (Driesner and Coyner, 2007b). The 28 United States, primarily since 1835, has been estimated to be companies responding to the survey reported spending $164.9 about 16,200 t (521 million troy ounces, nearly 11% of total million on exploration in Nevada in 2006, substantially higher world gold production) with total Nevada production nearly 3% than the $121.3 million reported in 2005 or the $79.7 million of total world production. The Carlin trend alone has accounted reported in 2004, and well above the level of $138.8 million in for 1.3% of total world production of gold. 1995. The State’s industrial minerals mining industry served to appreciably support the State’s economic growth. Aggregate Industrial Minerals production reached an alltime high in 2006 as a result of Nevada’s expanding population and the need for construction Developments in the industrial minerals sector continued materials for airports, business structures, highways, homes, in 2006. Notable exploration and mine staking activities took resort hotels, roads, and schools. Population growth was place in several commodities including barite, cement, clays, particularly strong in the Las Vegas metropolitan area (Clark diatomite, gypsum, sand and gravel, stone (crushed), stone County), where the infl ux of 9 to 10 new residents per hour (dimension), and vermiculite (Castor, 2007, p.